Have you ever been so angry with someone that you didn’t want an apology from them?
“I don’t wanna hear it!” “I’m not ready for that right now!” “You don’t mean it!”
We must always be ready to forgive as God is always ready to forgive us.
Hear are 5 reasons why we sometimes don’t forgive…
FORGIVING THEM TAKES AWAY OUR EXCUSE TO BE ANGRY
Sometimes when we’re honest with ourselves, we want to remain angry about what they have done. True forgiveness takes away our excuse to be angry at them.
Ephesians 4:31 (NKJV)
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, [a]clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
REMAINING ANGRY CAN MAKE US FEEL POWERFUL
When we’ve been hurt, it can make us feel weak, vulnerable and foolish. However, our anger can give us a perverse feeling of power and strength over the person or persons who hurt us. Forgiveness can make us feel weak if we don’t remember that it is an act of mercy that makes us look more like God.
Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV)
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
FORGIVING THEM FORCES US TO MOVE ON
If we aren’t careful, we can find ourselves getting a sense of ‘enjoyment’ out of lingering in the past and constantly thinking about and dwelling on what was done to hurt us. Sometimes people just don’t want to move forward.
Philippians 3:13-14 (NKJV)
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have [a]apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
HOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT AN APOLOGY ( 8 TIPS)…
HOW TO FORGET A PAST THAT YOU CAN’T FORGET…
FORGIVING THEM ALLOWS THEM TO MOVE ON
Forgiveness is a selfless act that frees the offender from the offense, as it does when God forgives us. God gets nothing out of forgiving us for our sins. He does it to free us and allow us to move forward. Sometimes we can have been hurt so badly by someone, that don’t want them to be free of the offense and don’t want them to move on. We can want them to live in a state of perpetual regret for what they’ve done. Forgiving them frees them from owing us an apology. Remember what Yeshua, Christ Jesus said…
Matthew 6:15 (NKJV)
15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
WHY WE SHOULD STOP SAYING, “FORGIVENESS ISN’T FOR THEM, IT’S FOR YOU…”
FORGIVING THEM ALLOWS THEM TO BE ‘GOOD’ AGAIN
When someone hurts us bad enough, we can find ourselves wanting them to be characterized as bad no matter what they do. Be careful when you feel someone isn’t sincere in their repentance or apology or not worthy of repentance.
Do any of these 5 reasons apply to you?
BE BLESSTIFIED!
BE BLESSTIFIED! 